Stolen Kisses
by DarKxKunoichi
Summary: Hermione Granger x Viktor Krum. Updated Chapters posted. The same old cliched story about the Yule Ball with my own spin on it. R & R.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I know it's been done... but after seeing angelguardian777's fanvid about Hermione and Viktor on YouTube... I just couldn't help it! I highly recommend watching it. Oh and DeniPie's Hermione/Viktor stories are beautifully written. Much better than anything I could have written. Go read them when you're done here. Also, I am writing this story with the Viktor Krum portrayed by Stanislav Ianevski in mind. He is just so hot.

Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own any of the characters or places mentioned in this story.

"…" – speech

'…' – thoughts

Chapter One

(Hogwarts Library)

Viktor Krum.

He was the youngest player in the International Quidditch League. He had often been regarded as the best Seeker the world had ever seen. His Bulgarian bloodline had given him sharp masculine features, tan skin and a thick, chiseled body that every girl yearned to be held against. Krum's deep brown eyes and short cropped hair coupled with his superb Quidditch skills had many girls swooning and eagerly wishing that they could discover what other skills the Durmstrang champion may possess - first hand.

However, there was one girl who had not fallen victim to the handsome Seeker's charms. Hermione Granger, the bushy haired, some-what buck toothed wonder witch seemed to be the only teenage girl who was immune to Viktor Krum's rugged features. She had to admit; she had been quite taken by his good looks when she first spotted him flying at the Quidditch World Cup, but now his constant presence was getting ridiculous. Ever since he had arrived at Hogwarts he had spent all of his free time in the library, which would have been fine except for the fact that a gaggle of giggly Hogwarts girls had taken to stalking him. Hermione had no idea what possible business he could have here in _her_ sanctuary. Didn't he have any books on that blasted ship he arrived in?

Today had been no different. Hermione had occupied a large reading table with rolls of parchment, bottles of ink, quills and various textbooks lying open, overlapping each other as she frantically scribbled sentence after sentence of her Charms essay on her unfurled roll of parchment. The prominent young witch looked up to dip the end of her quill into her bottle of ink when she caught a pair of eyes staring at her from behind a book in her peripheral vision. She turned her head to get a better look but the owner's face quickly disappeared behind the pages of his book.

'Krum?' Hermione shook her head incredulously. 'What am I thinking?'

What reason would Krum have to be interested in her? They have never had any contact with each other, unless sharing a library counted as an intimate conversation. Although, there had been times when she thought that he had wanted to say something to her. They had caught each other's gaze a few times since his arrival at Hogwarts; once at the introduction of the Triwizard Tournament, again when he entered his name into the Goblet of Fire and finally a couple of times in the library when she and Harry were poring over books before the First Task. They had only exchanged polite smiles before continuing minding their own business, but that was hardly a reason for either of them to desire more contact, right?

Hermione's quill suddenly slipped when she heard an unexpected squeal followed by a crowd of giggles. Her face contorted into a scowl when she realized that a group of Krum's fan girls were observing him from behind one of the stacks. She angrily tapped her wand onto her parchment to make sure the ink had dried and gathered her belongings and stormed out of the library, but not before shooting a contemptuous looked at Krum and his fan club.

'Why did he have to herd them around here anyway!?' she growled in her head.

The Durmstrang champion lowered his book and frowned as he watched the Gryffindor girl leave the library in a huff. He had developed an unexpected interest in Hermione the moment he spotted her in the Great Hall. Viktor knew that she wasn't quite like anybody else he had met when he saw the obvious disinterest in her eyes during the introduction of the Triwizard Tournament. When the thought first crossed his mind, the Bulgarian Seeker berated himself for becoming interested in a girl who had no interest in him. He attributed this to a sudden complex he may be developing about wanting only what he could not have. Krum began nurturing his interest in her by asking students amongst the Slytherin table for information on the bushy haired witch that accompanied Harry Potter around the school. He learned of her academic exploits and that she frequently spent her time in the library for reasons unknown to the Slytherins. Afterwards, he casually interrogated some of the young witches that took to following him after he heard a pale blond Slytherin boy refer to Hermione as a "mudblood." Viktor wasn't familiar with the term in English but was annoyed at the contempt he felt coming from the boy. The young Quidditch player became more intrigued by Hermione and immediately, almost obsessively, began visiting the library, hoping to catch a glimpse of the studious girl and perhaps cross each other's gaze as they had done a few times before. He was too shy to confront her while she was in the company of Harry Potter; what if they were together? Viktor had read something about it in the local paper, but he had also heard that the author had a habit of skewing the truth, which gave him a glimmer of hope. She brought out a warmth in his chest that was unknown to him and he felt that the Yule Ball would be his chance to expand on such an unfamiliar sensation.

(Gryffindor Tower, Common Room)

Hermione had worked off most of her annoyance by the time she had reached the common room of the Gryffindor Tower and had proceeded to finish her homework there, where the only distractions were Ron and Harry pestering her to help them with _their_ homework.

"Her-_my_-oh-_knee_!" Ron whined. "Help me!"

The young witch rolled her eyes as she continued to finish her essay. Out of the three of them, Ron was probably the one with the least to worry about. Harry still had to figure out what the Golden Egg, that he has retrieved from the first Triwizard Task, really was and she had a taken on a few extra credit essays herself. Before Ron could prod her for help again, a bunch of over excited Gryffindor girls had come through the portrait hole squealing about their potential dates for the Yule Ball. Luckily for Hermione this provided her with a much needed distraction since Ron started to babble to Harry about how it was absolutely necessary for them to have proper dates the ball. Hermione's eyes filled with sympathy for Harry; she knew he had been struggling to ask Cho Chang to be his date. Amongst the chatter about the ball, Hermione was able to finish her essay and quickly dashed upstairs before Ron could jab at her for help.

(Hogwarts Library)

It was a Saturday morning and Hermione's spirits were high. There was no way that Krum and has ruddy fan club would be in the library today. Surely a famous Quidditch player would have something better to do than to haunt the library stacks on such a beautiful Saturday morning, right?

Wrong.

Her face soured when she spotted the Bulgarian Seeker in the corner of the library muttering to himself in a language she didn't understand. It almost sounded as if he was giving himself a pep talk. The good news was that his giggly groupies hadn't found him yet, so Hermione would at least have some peace with her books.

Viktor's eyes quickly glanced at the pretty brunette that had taken a seat at the table furthest away from where he was currently standing. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for the most nerve-wracking experience of his life. He grabbed a random book off of the shelf, which was currently under one of his death grips, and walked confidently to the table full of parchment, books and ink.

"May I seat there?" Viktor pointed to the empty chair across from Hermione.

"I suppose…" She answered a little stiffly. "…if you want."

The Gryffindor raised her eyebrow suspiciously when she caught sight of the title of the book Viktor had started reading: _Broomstick Buddies: Flying Tips for Beginners_. She shook her head of her suspicions and buried her nose into her Transfiguration book. Hermione was half way through the chapter about partial transfigurations when she flinched as she was interrupted again.

"Excuse me?" Viktor's deep, accented voice questioned. "Miss Granger?"

Hermione put down her book. "How do you know my name?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I haff heard vhisperings among students." He stated plainly.

"Whisperings?" She asked disbelievingly. "About me?"

"Haff heard you are smartest vitch in class." Krum explained. "Many vish to ask for your help vith homevork."

Her cheeks turned pink for a moment. "Figures. So what is it you need help with Mr. Krum?"

"Viktor." He corrected. "My name is Viktor."

"Okay… _Viktor_." She said impatiently. "What is it you needed?"

"Vell…" The Seeker peered at the label on her book for help pronouncing her name. "Hermy-own… I vanted to…"

Hermione had covered her mouth to muffle her laugh at his pronunciation. The Durmstrang champion cursed in Bulgarian and began to quickly chastise himself for his mistake.

"Forgiff me." He said apologetically as his ears burned with embarrassment. "My English is not very…"

"It's okay." She smiled gently. 'Maybe he isn't what I thought…'

"I vanted to ask…" He swallowed a lump in his throat. "… if perhaps you vould…"

His voice faltered for a moment and Hermione responded with an impatient look.

"If I would…?" She urged.

"…help me find a book?" the Durmstrang champion cringed. 'What is the matter with you Viktor!?' He snarled internally in Bulgarian. 'Are you a coward!?'

Hermione's eyebrows almost disappeared into her unmanageable hair. "A book? You could have just asked Madam Pince if you needed help finding a book."

Viktor's eyes shifted to the stony faced librarian and back to Hermione's. "I thought that since you spend much time in library… you vould be of help." Krum said slowly. "That voman is a bit… indeterminating…"

Hermione was silent for a minute. "What?"

"In…" The Bulgarian Seeker's face reddened with every passing second. "In…timidating?"

The young witch laughed softly. "Yeah… she is a bit hard to approach. What did you need help finding?"

He took a deep breath and worked his face into an intense stare. "Actually… I did not vant to ask you that…"

The Gryffindor witch gave him a curious look. "Oh?"

"I…I vanted to ask… if you vould like to accompany me…" he shifted uncomfortably. "… to the Yule Ball?"

Hermione's eyes widened and her body froze in place. If there was anything in the world that he could have asked her, she would've bet her wand that it wasn't going to be **that. **So many thoughts were shooting around her head that she couldn't grasp one to articulate into words. Krum's face fell at her silence.

"I see." He said in disappointment. "You already haff date? Potter perhaps? Or red-headed boy?"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "No… I… I would love to go with you."

Viktor stood up in his chair suddenly. "You vould?" He asked hopefully.

"Yes… I would." She nodded.

"I am glad." He took her hand and kissed it gently, eliciting a blush from her cheeks. "I vill see you at entrance of Great Hall on Christmas?"

"Yes." She answered with a bright smile. "I'll see you there."

"I vill be vaiting."

The Bulgarian Seeker turned to leave the library with an obvious spring in his step. As he turned into the hallway outside of the library a few students jumped in surprised when he suddenly pumped his arm in the air victoriously.

End of Chapter One

Author's Note: Yes... not the most original... but I do have more ideas on where this story will go. It'll probably be short maybe four or five chapters. I hope you liked the changes I made. Reviews appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys! Summer heat is totally killing my writing resolve but I'll do my best. I just have to get this story out of my head; it's like trying to fight its way out.

"…" – speech

'…' – thoughts

Chatper Two

(Gryffindor Tower, Girls' Dormitory)

Hermione was starting to feel the excitement of the Yule Ball in the pit of her stomach. Of course, she reasoned, it could also have been the Christmas spirit in the air or the fact that Viktor Krum was going to be meeting her in front of the Great Hall for the aforementioned ball. She had left the snowball fight between Harry and the Weasleys three hours early to prepare and she was going to make sure that Ron would eat his words when he had _discovered_ that she was a **girl**, however, that would only be a bonus. The young witch also felt that, since this was such an extravagant event, she should work just has hard as the other girls to look her best. Her eyes passed over the bottle of _Sleekeazy's Hair Potion _a couple of times to make sure she had the directions correctly embedded in her mind. She held her hair over the bathroom sink and poured twice the recommended amount onto her head while using her wand to work it into her hair just as the bottle instructed her to do so. Hermione let her hair soak in the potion for twenty minutes before tying her hair up and covering it in a shower cap. She then drew herself a warm bath filled with aromatherapy bath salts and carefully slid into the soothing waters.

(Durmstrang Ship, Champion's Quarters)

Water sloshing could be heard in a steam filled bathroom, followed by liquid draining and a shower curtain sliding off to the side. It was just about 7:30 when Viktor Krum stepped out of his hot bath in all of his glory. He reached over to grab a towel to wipe off the excess droplets of moisture that clung so eagerly to his muscular body. The Bulgarian Seeker ran his towel over his thick muscular legs, between his hard thighs, over his chiseled abs, across his powerful chest, under each of his biceps, down his rippling back and ending on his taut backside. Now completely dry, he dropped his towel haphazardly on the bathroom floor and walked into his bedroom towards his dresser. Krum put on a pair a grey cotton boxers and white t-shirt before starting to dress in his formal crimson Durmstrang uniform.

"_You and the other champions will be leading the opening waltz at the Yule Ball, Viktor; be prepared_."

Karkaroff's voice echoed in his mind. Although he knew that his headmaster was only warning Krum so that he wouldn't embarrass his headmaster in the presence of the other schools, Viktor was a bit nervous for his own sake. It wouldn't bode well for him to embarrass himself in front of Hermione. For one of the few times in his life, he wished he could trade all of his flying prowess for the ability to overcome his duck-footed clumsiness on the ground.

Although, he reasoned to himself, it did seem like she was at least a little interested in him. Viktor remembered her gentle smile when their eyes first met when he entered his name in the Goblet of Fire. He definitely felt something from her then, as well as when their eyes met again during his morning exercises. Amusement played over his features when he noticed her eyeing his muscles flex as he marched down the lakeside. His knowing smirk and piercing gaze flustered her, but the moment between them was ruined by his fan club and Harry and Ron's presence. The burly Bulgarian flexed more purposely and watched Hermione hide her smirk from the corner of his eye.

When he was finally satisfied with his appearance and had worked through his dancing nerves, Viktor strode out of the privacy of his quarters into the crowd of Durmstrang students that were in the middle of their own preparations. He rolled his eyes and gave sheepish smirks when his fellow students started patting his back encouragingly and wishing him luck in his dancing… among other more suggestive endeavors. He had escaped his friends' wicked remarks and was slightly relieved to find that he had beaten Hermione to the entrance to the Yule Ball. The Durmstrang champion kept a surly expression on his face as he nodded to the passing couples entering the Great Hall, but he did double take when he spotted a vision of beauty descending the steps toward him. He almost didn't recognize her with her straightened hair that was pulled back into an elegant knot with parted bangs that hung loosely on both sides of her oval face. She had only applied a light amount of make-up; just enough to accent her honey colored eyes and glossy kissable lips, which caused Krum to quiver slightly. Hermione's periwinkle blue dress clung to her, illuminating curves that _she_ didn't even know she had and revealed a modest amount of cleavage.

Viktor quickly approached and drew her hand to his mouth to gently kiss it. "You look very beautiful."

She blushed lightly. "Thank you." They linked arms and Viktor lead them into the Great Hall. "Not that you need anyone else telling you, but you do look very handsome tonight."

Hermione, who had giggled in a way that was very much unlike her, attached her gaze to him and smiled at his blushing face. She loved the way Viktor looked at her; it was just as if it was another day in the library. It was like she was always beautiful, except now she was just in a nice dress. Of course, Hermione knew that he was a bit in awe because of her hair; she never remembered it to be any kind of manageable. The young witch was so lost in the Seeker's deep brown eyes that she didn't even notice all of the people gaping at her or the death glares that were being shot at her from Krum's groupies. Hermione broke out of her trance when she spotted an opened mouthed Harry staring at her when they arrived on the dance floor.

"Hi Harry!" She waved merrily. "Hi Parvati!"

Before they could respond, the music had started for the waltz and Hermione had discovered that the wizarding waltz was more active that the waltzes she had seen before. Fortunately for them, Viktor seemed to have learned the waltz very well and eagerly took the lead. He grinned at the look of surprise on her face when he lifted her off the ground and spun her around in the air. She blushed gently when her feet reached the ground again. Viktor continued to lead by raising her hand above her head and quickly spinning Hermione in place, then pulling her into his chest, spinning her away and back again in time with the music. As the melody softened the four males on the dance floor pulled their female partners into their chests with the final beat. Hermione found herself lingering in Viktor's embrace and they were ultimately the last couple to leave the dance floor, gathering more stares than she felt comfortable with.

"S-sorry." She stammered her apology. "I-I just…"

"Is alright." Viktor reassured her. "Am flattered that beautiful girl enjoys my embrace."

Hermione's face reddened. "I didn't know Bulgarians were such sweet-talkers."

"Is in my blood." He responded slyly as he led her to their seats at the High Table.

"I suppose dance talent is coursing through your veins as well?"

"Perhaps." He answered shiftily, not wanting to admit that he had practiced for days trying to get it just right.

Hermione had never met anyone who could make her blush quite like he could. The more she was with him the more she felt shivers down her spine. She felt a kind of electricity when she was near him. It was the kind of magic she couldn't learn from a book; it was the kind of magic that only she could only learn by being with him. The only things that were bothering her at the moment were Karkaroff's and Ron's sour looks when they gazed toward her and Viktor. She suspected that Karkaroff had caught wind of her Muggle born status, and with his reputation she couldn't blame him too much, but Hermione was more annoyed with Ron. He had absolutely no reason to be angry with her and his childish attitude had created a miserable atmosphere for Padma as well.

After dinner the Weird Sisters changed the mood of ball with several fast paced songs. The dance floor transformed from an elegant ball to more of a well-dressed nightclub. Students were more inclined to use sharp movements coupled with grinding bodies to dance in contrast to their previously choreographed waltz. Most of the teachers averted their gazes and made idle small talk, while others simply eyed the students disapprovingly – not that it had any effect whatsoever. This time it was Hermione's turn to lead the dance. She took Viktor's hand and moved her body sharply with the music. The Durmstrang champion felt a bit awkward at first but Hermione's gentle gaze and soft smile calmed his nerves. He began to imitate her a bit before letting himself go and moved with the music. A few songs later, the young Quidditch player had relaxed and was bumping and grinding with the best of them, all while keeping their fingers intertwined.

The music eventually slowed down, causing the young witches' and wizards' tired bodies to cry out joyfully. They all leaned into each others' gentle embraces due to both the romantic atmosphere and to rest their aching muscles. Still clasping their hands, Viktor and Hermione moved into each other's bodies. Viktor slid his free arm around her waist and Hermione placed hers on his shoulder while resting her head on his other shoulder. She had never felt more comfortable in her life. Viktor, on the other hand, was having a hard time controlling his teenage hormones. He found her scent to be incredibly arousing and attempted to shift nonchalantly away from her to avoid being discovered. When the song eventually changed, Viktor held her hand in the air and spun her around and pulled her back into his chest, hugging her from behind. She gently squeezed the hand Viktor had wrapped around her waist and shivered when she felt his warm breath on her neck. Exhaustion slowly snuck up on Hermione as she felt her eyelids fall, blurring her vision, and feeling the Bulgarian Seeker against her body was too comforting to try to stay awake.

"Herm-own-ninny…" Viktor whispered suddenly in her ear. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay…" She responded lazily. "…just a little tired."

"Perhaps you are getting too convertible…" He breathed.

"What?" Hermione asked amusedly.

Viktor grunted in annoyance. "Con…com…comfortable…" He said slowly.

"Maybe I am…"

"Vould you like something to drink then?"

"Yeah… Would it be alright if I met you at Harry and Ron's table? I should see how they're doing."

He nodded. "I vill see you there."

Hermione nodded but it took them a few moments longer to release each other. Viktor moved through the crowd to the refreshments table to grab two bottles of butterbeer. He ignored his friends' smirks and remarks about him and Hermione but couldn't help but blush a little bit at what they were suggesting. When he arrived at Harry's table, Viktor frowned when he didn't see Hermione.

"Vare is Herm-own-ninny?"

"No idea." The red-haired boy looked up at him. "Lost her, have you?"

Viktor's expression contorted in annoyance. "Vell, if you see her, tell her I haff drinks."

The Bulgarian Seeker moved through the crowd of dancers, using his training to try to spot his date amongst the swaying bodies. He frowned and continued out of the Great Hall into one of the adjacent courtyards. He found a distressed Hermione sitting on one of the stony paths twisting through the landscape.

She jumped slightly when she felt his arm drape over her shoulders and looked up to meet his concerned eyes.

"Are you alright, Herm-own-ninny?" He asked comfortingly.

"Yeah… Ron… Ron is just being a… stupid git." She grumbled as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Do not vorry." He responded soothingly. "You vill come to an understanding."

The distraught witch smiled weakly. "How can you be so sure?"

"I do not know how they do things in Britain…" he spoke carefully, as to not embarrass himself. "… but in Bulgaria, friends alvays come to understanding after fights."

"Yeah…" she lowered her eyes. "You're right."

"Shall I take you to bed?" The Seeker said without thinking.

Hermione blushed furiously, looking at Krum shyly but it was obvious that the innuendo had gone over his head.

"After we finish our drinks." She answered with her eyes averted.

Viktor gently held a bottle of butterbeer near her lips as she slowly nursed the drink for the next few minutes. After they had finished, she felt a wave of mortification hit her; she had just _let_ Viktor Krum practically **feed** her a drink. Before she could express her embarrassment properly, she felt the arm Krum had around her waist pull her up with him as he stood. He steered her up a few steps before he realized he had no idea where Gryffindor Tower was. Hermione sensed his confusion and nudged him in the right direction. They stayed in a comfortable silence for the entire seven story walk. When they reached the final staircase leading up to the portrait of the Fat Lady, they turned the face each other. Viktor continued to gently squeeze her hands and stare at her intensely.

"What's wrong?" Hermione smiled and averted her eyes slightly.

The Bulgarian wizard considered expressing his thoughts for a moment. "I vish… very much to… kiss you…"

"Viktor!" she almost shrieked. "I…I…" She reddened considerably.

Disappointment fell over his features. "Forgiff me… I should not haff…"

"N-no… it's okay!" Hermione began to babble. "It's just that… people should be surprised with a kiss… just going around ask-"

The rest of her sentence was muffled by Viktor's lips suddenly connecting with hers. Her eyes widened and she felt her lips tremble against his. His arms tightened around her waist and back, pulling her deeper into the kiss. A few moments had passed and Hermione's eyelids slowly closed and her lips melted against his, as she became an active participate in their embrace. Viktor was slowly mustering up the courage to advance the kiss but before he could push his tongue into her mouth, she pulled away while panting gently.

"Vere you surprised?" He breathed heavily.

"Very…" She responded with a heavy blush.

The Bulgarian wizard then took her hand and gently kissed it. "Good night, Herm-own-ninny."

Hermione watched him dreamily as he walked down the hall and turned the corner. She quickly snapped out of her wistful state when she spotted Ron and Harry turning the opposite corner and angrily stormed up the stairs and growled the password to the Fat Lady, ignoring her giggling and approving gaze, before disappearing into the common room with Ron at her heels; she could feel the looming argument even before she turned to face Ron.

(Hogwarts, Great Hall)

Most of the school had slept in on Boxing Day and had missed breakfast. This, naturally, left everybody with rumbling stomachs before noon and the Great Hall felt even more crowded than usual for lunch. Hermione had finished her shepherd's pie and was half way through with her pumpkin juice when she felt a nudge on her back. She turned to find Viktor staring back at her with a slight sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Forgiff me." He bowed lightly. "I vill be more careful next time."

The witch smiled when she caught his mysterious wink and watched him exit the hall. She turned back to her drink but found a scowling Ron instead. Since their argument the night before, Hermione and Ron decided to have a tense, unspoken truce. Hermione quickly drained her goblet and before either Ron or Harry could comment she invented an excuse to leave the table and darted after Viktor. She spotted his Durmstrang uniform turn the corner at the end of the hallway and quickly followed. Before she turned the corner, she stopped in her tracks. She took a deep breath, not wanting to seem too eager to see him, and casually walked around the corner. Hermione raised her eyebrow when she didn't see any sign of Viktor. The curious witch took a few more steps before she was suddenly pulled into a deep niche on the side of the hall.

"Viktor!" she squealed but was muffled by a sudden kiss.

"Haff missed your taste…" He breathed after he pulled away from her.

"Viktor…" She responded, a bit dazed. "What are you doing? We could get caught!"

"That is part of fun yes?" The young Quidditch player growled huskily and pulled her into another kiss, making sure that he put his tongue into play early on.

It took another minute or so before Hermione could gather the strength to push him away from her. Before she could ask where Viktor's sudden boldness came from, he had interrupted her thoughts.

"Fine… fine…" Viktor grumbled. "Ve vill go to ship for more privacy…" He murmured huskily.

"Viktor Krum!" She half scolded. "What are you….!?"

"Vas only joke." Krum smiled. "Vot kind of man do you think I am?"

Hermione smirked sardonically and let her eyes wander down to the thick hardness pressing against her thigh.

The Seeker's face flushed. "Vell… I… am only a man." He said sheepishly.

"Yeah… something I noticed at the Yule Ball as well." She said teasingly.

Viktor's eyes widened. "You…? I… I vas…" He continued lamely.

"What would you have done if I said yes to your little indecent proposal?" Hermione raised her eyebrow.

A familiar lecherous smirk appeared on his face. "Vell… ve vould be on our way to ship now vouldn't ve?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and gave him a quick kiss. "I have to finish my homework before the next term. Will you meet me in the library?"

"Vill be vaiting." Viktor said with a slightly lopsided smile.

End of Chapter Two

Author's Note: Whew… hope you liked it! Reviews are always nice.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

"…" – speech

'…' – thoughts

Chapter Three

"_Herm-own-ninny… I haff never felt this way this vay about any other girl…"_

"_I vos vondering… if you vould like to visit me in Bulgaria this summer….?"_

Hermione rolled over on her bed, replaying the events of the Second Task in her head. She couldn't think of anything that seemed out of the ordinary, but then again she was a little distraught after being held captive underwater for over an hour. Still… how did that horrible Skeeter woman know exactly what Viktor had said to her? Hermione had ruled out an Invisibility Cloak, since Professor Moody hadn't seen her by the lake. This wouldn't have been so bad if she had been able to talk to Viktor. Hermione knew that Viktor had been a little hurt when she kept fussing over Harry after she had gotten out of the water, but was that why he had been avoiding her? Did he take Rita's article about her and Harry seriously? The young witch wasn't sure if she should be annoyed or flattered that Viktor was jealous, if he even was.

'Oh…' she groaned in frustration. 'What am I even thinking?! I shouldn't be so big-headed…'

Annoyed with her lack of answers, she decided to go to the library to continue her research on magical spying techniques. She had already finished her homework due the following week and Ron and Harry were off discussing the possibilities of the Third Task. The path to the library was clear, as usual, since most students spent the weekend outside or in their dormitories. When she entered the library she immediately went through the section on Concealing Charms and Magical Detection Shields. Her pile of books was so high she didn't even see the broad shouldered figure approach her from behind.

Her back straightened when she felt his hot breath against her neck. "Herm-own-ninny…"

She dropped her books on the table and turned to find a muscular Bulgarian staring down at her. "Viktor?!"

"It is good to see you." He said politely.

"What are you doing here?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at his tone.

"Looking for a book." Viktor answered casually "Vould you help me?"

"Okay. What are you looking for?" Hermione relaxed her posture, deciding to play along.

"An advanced Charms book." He frowned. "Do not know vare to find it…"

Hermione took a moment to think before leading him deep into the stacks in the back of the library. She couldn't help but blush a little as she kept feeling Viktor's knuckles brush up against hers and whenever she stopped to check the bindings of nearby books, he would always gently grip her waist with his large hands to steady himself after _accidentally_ bumping into her. The Gryffindor girl bit her lip gently as her eyes scanned over dusty book bindings, ancient tomes and molding covers.

"Here it is." They said in unison.

"What?" Hermione questioned as she pulled the book out of the shelf and turned. "It's right he-"

Viktor had cut her off with a deep, lip swelling, knee buckling kiss. Her body went limp as she dropped the book in her hands with a muffled 'thud' and his arms pulled her into his hard chest. Hermione wasn't sure if they had just shared one long kiss or several short ones; all she knew was that when he finally pulled away from her, her eyes became unfocused and her breath caught in her throat. When she finally gathered her wits, her eyes met the Bulgarian wizard's wicked smile.

"This is the second time you've lied to me about books Mr. Krum." Hermione breathed. "I should be very angry with you."

"You should be…" He smirked smugly. "… but I am very handsome no?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed lightly. "What did you want?"

"Vould you take valk vith me?" The Seeker's eyes twinkled lightly. "I vould like to talk."

"Okay…" She replied, still a little dazed.

They left the library, unsure if Madam Pince would hex Hermione for leaving a book on the floor or for leaving a dozen books piled chaotically on one of the tables. It wasn't until they had reached the grounds near the lake that Viktor revealed the reason for visiting her in the library.

"I vos vondering… if you had thought about my offer to visit me this summer?"

"Oh…" Hermione shifted awkwardly. "Well… I… I think that it would be best if… I didn't…"

"I…I see." He responded, slightly hurt.

"It's just that I should be with Ron and Harry…."

Viktor interrupted her with a suppressed growl. They both grew silent; creating an awkwardness that hadn't been felt since their days before he asked her to the Yule Ball. She wondered if he was angry because she rejected his invitation or because she had mentioned Harry. Maybe he had taken Rita's article more seriously than Hermione had previously thought? Perhaps it was because of the way she had ignored him after the Second Task to fuss over Harry?

"I'm sorry I didn't thank you properly for saving me in the lake…" Hermione said, breaking the silence.

"You vere in no real danger." He responded stiffly. "You do not need to thank me."

Hermione gently squeezed his hand. "I was just so worried about…"

"Potter?" He growled.

"Well… yeah." She answered in a matter-of-factly tone. "He's my best friend and…"

"It is good you care so much about your _friends_." Viktor said a bit sarcastically.

"I…" The witch began.

"Vot am I exactly?" The Bulgarian Seeker said suddenly. "If Potter is your friend?"

"W-what?" Hermione asked, a little bewildered.

"Am I just boy you share kisses vith?" He accused. "Like that Skeeter voman says?"

"No, you're not!" Hermione replied hotly. "How can you even _think_ that anything she writes is true?"

"Potter says so as vell…" Krum said quietly.

"Yes!" Hermione said in frustration. "He understands that we're _just_ friends. Are you jealous of him?!"

"Yes!" Viktor growled. "Very jealous of boy who you speak of vhen ve are together. Jealous because I am von who vants your kisses! I am von who vants to touch you… jealous because I am not… the von you are vith…"

"Viktor…I-I can't get too attached to you now… " Hermione faltered.

"Vhy not?" He clenched his fists.

"Because…. Because you're leaving… and how I am I supposed to let you go? If we get too close then… I… I don't think that I could… could…" She said, her voice breaking.

"Then perhaps… ve should not see each other anymore." He said darkly. "You vill haff no need to feel anything vhen ve say goodbye."

"W-what?" Hermione said looking scandalized. "But we still have a month to…"

"No…ve do not." Viktor turned away. "I haff to prepare for Third Task… and you must help _Potter_."

Hermione's eyes filled with unshed tears as she watched Viktor walk back to the Durmstrang ship. He didn't mean what he said; he didn't even know why he had said it. The Bulgarian Seeker was just so frustrated with the situation and he just didn't know how else to alleviate his temper. He knew he should go back to her and apologize… but his pride got the better of him this time. It wasn't until he reached his quarters before he unclenched his fists, and with it, felt his heart break for the first time.

(Gryffindor Tower, Common Room)

Hermione's steps padded softly against the stone floor of the castle as she made her way back to her dormitory. Her legs moved mechanically and she didn't even realize she was in front of the portrait hole of the tower until the Fat Lady had cleared her throat loudly to get her attention. Hermione mumbled the password and stumbled into the common room but before she could return to her bed a voice stopped her.

"Hermione?" Harry called out. "Where have you been? Ron just went out to look for…"

He stopped short when he saw her eyes filled with unshed tears. She had done a good job not breaking down on her way to the tower but knowing someone had noticed her troubled state caused her to burst into tears.

"Oh Harry!" She grabbed his robes and sobbed into his chest.

She told him everything about what happened at the Yule Ball, the library and her argument with Viktor. Her voice faltered in between her words and Harry strained his ears to hear her properly; knowing she wouldn't want to repeat any of this in fear of breaking down in tears again. He patted her back soothingly and led her to one of the large armchairs by the fire. After Hermione had recovered enough, she released her hold on Harry and curled up into the chair.

"Hey…" Harry started gently. "Don't worry… Viktor will come around. He's just stressed with the Tournament and everybody believed that Skeeter cow's articles for a while."

Hermione let out a low whimper and hugged her legs closer to her.

"_Really_." He stressed as he rubbed her shoulder. "Before we found Crouch the other day… he took me aside and practically interrogated me to make sure that we weren't involved."

The distraught witch looked up at Harry.

"He sounded really serious… I know he cares about you." He smiled. "You should've seen him when I told him that Skeeter's article was absolute rubbish; it was like that time Ron overdid the Cheering Charm on me last year."

Hermione let out a soft laugh and hugged him again. "Thanks Harry…" Her voice suddenly breaking.

"What's the matter now?" The young wizard asked as Hermione began chewing her lip.

"Could…could you…?" She began.

"You don't want me to tell Ron?" He guessed.

She nodded gently.

"You don't have to ask." Harry pulled away from her. "I understand. I _do_ have two best friends remember?"

Hermione leaned back against the chair, a look of slight skepticism in her eyes.

"I mean it." Harry pressed. "If you hadn't gotten so close to Krum, then I'm sure Dumbledore would've made me rescue the both of you from the lake."

"I wonder how you would've carried the three of us?" the witch joked.

"Three?" Harry questioned, wondering if her distress was confusing her.

"You know that this hero complex you have would've still made you rescue Fleur's sister from the merpeople." She teased.

"Oh well you know…" Harry remarked casually. "I would've taken Gabrielle and Ron to the surface and come back for you… _if_ I still had time…."

"You're horrible!" She punched his arm.

They laughed together and Hermione hugged him again, tears still in her eyes from their previous conversation.

"Oi! Harry! I can't find Hermi-" Ron froze when he saw his two friends hugging. "Did I miss something?"

Hermione quickly pulled away from Harry. "No…no… its just that…Harry finally got the Shield Charm… and I was just so excited…" Her voice broke a little. "I have to…go get my notes… so that we could…."

She ran up the steps to her room before she could finish her sentence. Ron turned Harry for a more adequate explanation.

"You brought her to tears with your Shield Charm?" Ron raised his eyebrow suspiciously.

"Oh-oh y-yeah…" Harry invented quickly. "You know how Hermione is with this kind of stuff. You should've seen her when I got the hang of the Summoning Charm… almost fainted, she did…"

Harry had to turn away to hide his laughter when Ron stared at him dubiously.

(Hogwarts – Grounds)

A wave of depression had hit Hogwarts. The closing of the Triwizard Tournament had to be the most depressing one in the history of the tournament. No one could believe that Cedric Diggory had been killed, let alone that Voldemort himself had found a way to come back from the dead. The entire school had been mourning the loss of Cedric, except for possibly the Slytherins, some of which were secretly celebrating the Dark Lord's return. Dumbledore's speech about Cedric, although touching, did little to improve the mood of the listeners. Hermione couldn't keep the tears out of her eyes and neither could many of the other girls who knew Cedric. All the boys held somber expressions and barely brought up the subject of Cedric at all. Hermione felt the worst for Harry, he was the one to see him get killed, he was the one to witness the rise of the Dark Lord and now he had to cope with the fact that the world that they knew was going to change forever.

After the closing remarks of the Tournament, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had begun their departure preparations. Hermione hadn't spoken to Viktor since their argument a month ago and wondered if things really were going to be okay like Harry had told her before. She and Ron had decided to accompany Harry with the rest of the school to see Beauxbatons and Durmstrang off. Hermione felt a little uncomfortable in the crowd of screaming students, some sobbing for having to say good bye to new friends and others were shouting their partings over the waves of witches and wizards that stood between them.

"Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting back." Ron asked curiously. "D'you reckon they can steer that ship without Karkaroff?"

"Karkaroff did not steer." Viktor gruffly interjected. "He stayed in his cabin and let us do the vork."

"Can I haff a vord?" He whispered into Hermione's ear.

"Oh…yes…alright. " Hermione answered, a little flustered and worried.

He held her hand and led her out of the crowd near the entrance to the Great Hall.

"I… I did not vant to leaf things the vay they vere…" Viktor started apologetically.

"N-no… Viktor…"

"Shh…" He gently pressed his thumb against her lips. "It vos my fault. I should not haff said those things. I should have trusted you… and understood your vishes. I am just not used to sharing the vones I care about."

"I…I thought you had regretted…" Hermione started solemnly. "… meeting me…"

"My only regret…" He put his arms around her. "…is vot little time ve had…"

He held her close to him and turned his back to the crowd and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Write to me…" He handed her his address. "…promise?"

Hermione nodded and smiled. Viktor blew her a kiss and waved good bye and headed back into the crowd, back to the Durmstrang ship but not before giving a giddy Ron his autograph. Hermione took that gesture as a bit of a truce and a sign that Ron had not seen their previous actions together. The Golden Trio stood together, wondering just how much the future was going to change.

End of Chapter Three

Author's Note: Whew… it took me a little while to make sure all the events fit in the right place. I had to bust out my fourth book just to make sure. Anyway, I hope I held up my standards with this chapter, I'll probably end up editing it later just like I did with chapters one and two though. I have one more chapter to write before I'm done, but it'll be short so I might be done with it tomorrow…ish. Reviews are encouraging.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Well here is the short ending to my story. Thanks for the reviews guys. I hope this meets your expectations. Oh and I'm assuming that Viktor still has one more year left of school since he pretty much skipped one for the Triwizard Tournament.

"…" – speech

'…' – thoughts

Chapter Four

(Bulgaria – Krum Residence)

The bathroom door lazily swung open, cool air escaping into the bedroom along with a broad shouldered, well muscled figure. Viktor Krum wobbly strode to his soft welcoming bed and eagerly fell face forward into his comforting pillow. Unattended water droplets slid off of his hard body, creating cool puddles of moisture on his sheets. The young man didn't mind as he welcomed any amount of moisture to alleviate himself of the hot, dry summer weather. He rolled over onto his back, creating a strain on his already sore muscles. The news of the return of the Dark Lord had not spread, so once Viktor had returned to Bulgaria he was immediately put back into his intense Quidditch training with the Vrasta Vultures. After not playing Quidditch for almost a year, due the Triwizard Tournament, he felt a little rusty on a broom and his endurance seemed to have been shot since his muscles hadn't felt this sore since the first time he started flying. The Bulgarian wizard groaned and threw his arm over his eyes, desperately wanting sleep to wash over him.

Viktor had just about sunk completely into his dreams when a moderately large snowy white owl flew through his open window and landed promptly onto his exposed abs. He yelped and jumped up at the feel of the owl's sharp talons pricking at his stomach. The owl hooted angrily and perched at the end of Viktor's bed post, looking extremely harassed and dropping the package it was carrying on the floor beside the bed.

"Hey!" Viktor grumbled in Bulgarian. "_You_ were the one who dug your talons into _me_!" He responded to the owl's offended look.

The owl stared at him questioningly, rotating its head from side to side. Krum picked up the dropped package and took note of the writing on it.

"English?" He muttered staring at the owl. "You are from Britain then?"

His nocturnal visitor hooted in response and flew over to him again, nipping affectionately at his arm.

"Vot is this?" The wizard looked at the animal questioningly. "Fickle bird aren't you?"

Viktor pulled a letter out of the envelope and smiled when he knew who the package was from.

_Dear Viktor,_

_How have you been? I know its only been three weeks since the summer holidays began, but I thought it would be better if I wrote to you sooner than later. Besides, I think I could use a break from the summer homework I have to do. Ron and Harry think I've gone mad because I'm just about halfway done and I've still got about two months of holiday left. I hope that this letter arrives at an appropriate hour; I'm not exactly sure what the time difference is between Britain and Bulgaria. I don't have an owl of my own so I had to borrow Harry's owl, Hedwig. I hope she's not giving you any trouble. To tell you the truth, she was a little eager to take the job. I showed her a picture of you so she knew what you looked like and she volunteered before I even had a chance to send her back to Harry to see if I could use her. I think she might be a bit taken with you. I guess your charms aren't limited to just teenage girls huh? _

Viktor smirked and gently petted Hedwig's head. "So you're Potter's owl eh?"

She cooed in response while he went back to reading the letter.

_Are you doing alright with Quidditch? Harry and Ron reckon that you're going to be under some intense training because of the World Cup last year. When is the next World Cup? I really want to see you fly again… maybe you'll have a game against Britain? Do you think you could send me the Quidditch schedule when you find out? I don't want to have to ask Harry or Ron… they'll probably get all nosy and I don't want to have to deal with that._

_I'm really sorry about not coming to visit you this summer… but I suppose its best with all the things going on around here now. Ron sent me a letter about where a bunch of us… who know about… the   
"incident" are going to spend the summer preparing for anything that might happen. I think they're going to send a group of Aurors to pick up Harry from his aunt and uncle's house soon. Ron didn't explain how I'm going to get there though, so I'll just have to wait until more news comes. Nothing suspicious is going on in Bulgaria is there? Did Durmstrang find a new headmaster yet? Do you have summer homework for your last year? I don't think I would be able to handle Quidditch practice and summer homework… especially if I liked one more than the other. I'm sure that we would probably have different views on which one we would pick._

_Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot! I've enclosed some pictures that were taken last year while you were at Hogwarts. I was shocked when Dumbledore sent me a package of wizard film! He assured me that nobody was spying on us and they just appeared on his desk. I guess its just one of those mysteries of the school that no one can figure out. It was my first time developing wizard photos… it was quite an experience. My mum and dad had so much fun looking at the photos. I think it might have been the first time they've seen wizarding photos. Since they're Muggles, they were really shocked to see us moving in them! Once they calmed down, they were really responsive to everything they saw. My mum thinks you're quite handsome Viktor and my dad can't get enough of the fact that you're a famous sports star. Granted, he's never seen a Quidditch game or knows any of the concepts but he's just really impressed by it all. I hope you and your family are well. Please write back as soon as you can._

_I miss you._

_Yours Truly,_

_Hermione J. Granger_

Viktor swallowed as he read her last line. He shook his head free of his thoughts and reached deeper into the envelope to find a smaller envelope full of photos. The Bulgarian Seeker leaned back against his headboard and flipped through the pictures.

The first was a picture of him and Hermione sitting together in the library. He had put his arm around her and she was blushing lightly. They stared up at him with sparkling eyes and Hermione waved up at him, while Viktor stayed focused on her.

The second contained Hermione and him at the entrance of the Yule Ball. Viktor smiled at his own sheepish grin and Hermione's shy wave as they linked arms.

The next few were a series of pictures capturing the opening waltz from different angles. The wizard was surprised to see that he didn't look as clumsy on the dance floor as he had previously thought. He spent a few minutes looking at them but the dancers eventually got tired and took their seats to continue dancing later. Viktor blushed lightly when he noticed that there were more dancers in the picture than chairs so Hermione was forced to sit in his lap to rest.

Another series of pictures portrayed the un-choreographed dances. Some displayed the rough grinding dances during faster songs and others had the sweet embraces during the slower ones. Viktor found that his favorite was one where he was holding Hermione from behind, gently whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

The next picture showed them in an empty hallway holding hands and exchanging chaste kisses every once in a while.

He was definitely surprised when he found a picture of him leaning against a tree while Hermione was gently snoozing in his arms. He had looked up at himself and given him a sly wink before continuing to watch the young girl in his arms.

The final picture was of them outside, near the Great Hall when Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were leaving Hogwarts. Viktor had an arm draped over Hermione's shoulder and alternated between was whispering things into her ear and gently kissing her cheek, causing her to blush redder and redder each time.

Viktor quickly extracted some parchment from his dresser and conjured a quill and bottle of ink. He frowned for a moment to think about exactly what he should write in his response.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I am glad to hear from you so soon. I am doing very well and Weasley and Potter are right about Quidditch. Ever since I returned to Bulgaria my coach has been working everybody hard. He has increased practices to five times a week. They are more intense than usual, so it is very difficult for me to return home and relax. I mostly just sleep because of my sole muscles. I will send you my Quidditch schedule if you like, but we do not get the World Cup schedule until towards the end of the season. My coach was annoyed that I could not return to practice during holidays this past year for practice because of the Triwizard Tournament, so I think he is working me to make up for lost time._

_I am not sure of your meaning when you talk about Potter's owl. She does seem to like me but I would think it is because I am good with animals. My own owl, falcon and dog treat me the same way. I am thinking you like to make things bigger than they really are for fun._

_I have not seen anything out of the ordinary in Bulgaria, mostly because the news of the Dark Lord's return has not yet reached us. I am being cautious about who I tell about it, however, because there are many wizards here who have graduated from Durmstrang. There are some of them here who deny being Death Eaters but I am sure they will change their minds when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named makes his presence known. Durmstrang has not yet found a new headmaster, so the most senior member of the staff is taking his place until the position is filled. My summer homework is going well, but I am having trouble with Disembowelment Curse and transfiguring fire into animal forms. I have done well with changing water and creating hurricanes however. How are you doing with your schoolwork? I am remembering that you told me that in your fifth year you will be taking O.W.L.s. At Durmstrang, we take our tests during our seventh year, so I will be under the same amount of stress as you or perhaps just a little more with Quidditch. _

_Thank you very much for the pictures. I am enjoying them very much._ _Forgive me for writing such a short letter but I am very tired. I will write to you again soon._

_I miss you._

_Yours,_

_Viktor Krum_

The young man looked through the pictures for another few minutes before returning to re-read the letter Hermione had sent to him. He was interrupted, however, by Hedwig's hoots and gently pecking at his hand.

"You may stay here tonight if you vant." He gently scratched the back of her neck. "I vill send my response tomorrow."

'I should find pictures frames tomorrow as well…' He added in his head.

Viktor lay down, covered his eyes with his arm as he had done previously, not noticing Hedwig fly up to perch on his headboard, and held Hermione's letter over his bare chest. Her last line being constantly re-read in his mind as he drifted off to sleep:

"_I miss you."_

His dreams were filled of her. The feel of her body against his, the sight of her mesmerizing brown eyes, the smell of her floral body wash, the sound of her scolding voice whenever he whispered wicked things into her ear and the taste of each one of their stolen kisses.

The End

Author's Note: Well there it is. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I'm thinking of making a short post-Hogwarts sequel later. I would have to obviously manipulate the events of the last book to make it work. I'll have to see if I can gather enough thoughts to put into words. Review if possible.


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